It Happened On a Tuesday
by Agent Blackhawk Carter
Summary: A small tribute I wrote in honor of what happened one September morning. Please be respectful of my story and send me no flames.


No funny A/N's or anything like that. Not for this story.

This oneshot is dedicated to the men and women who risked and/or lost their lives one fateful Tuesday morningin September 2001. I mean no disrespect to the families who lost loved ones. This is just my small way of paying tribute to those brave souls who ran into three burningbuildings to save complete strangers or those who stayed inside to help and to those brave souls who fought against their hijackers.

I own nothing in this story that is recognizable. To get the full effect of this oneshot, I recommend listening to _Amazing Grace_ (a version with bagpipes is highly recommended due to the fact that is what I was listening to as I wrote this).

_"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquest of it." - Unknown_

* * *

Tenno Kaijin stretched and sat back from working on the motorcycle he had built. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled. Kaijin's bike was a perfect copy of the motorcycle the character Kaneda rode in the anime _Akira_. The sixteen year old rose to his feet and tossed the wrench in his hand into the nearby toolbox. He picked up a bottle of water and took a long drink.

A girl with aqua hair with blonde streaks poked her head into the garage. "Kai, come on! Papa wants to go into town to pick Mama up."

"I just finished Suiren," Kai returned, following his twin sister into the house.

"Finish tuning up your bike?" Haruka asked as they walked in. Though Haruka and most of the Senshi were near, if not in, their mid-thirties, they looked no older than being in their early twenties. Setsuna informed them that it was due to their Senshi powers and that they would need to be careful down the road so as to not attract suspicion. Even Sky, Haruka's twin brother and Guardian of Uranus, looked to be in his mid-twenties.

"Yeah," Kai answered.

"Well hurry and wash up. I don't want to be late to pick your mother up," Haruka ordered as Kai made his way up the steps to his room.

"I'm goin'!" he called down.

"Don't yell in the house!" Haruka yelled back.

"Papa…you just did…" Suiren giggled.

"I didn't yell. I just raised my voice a little," Haruka returned. Suiren remained silent but had a huge smile on her face.

Kai returned a few moments later dressed in a pair of comfortable faded blue jeans and a black long sleeve shirt. The three went out into the garage, slipped their shoes on, and then got into the car. Haruka drove to the airport as Suiren idly flipped through radio stations.

"Just pick one already!" Kai groaned as his sister passed a third radio station.

"I'm trying to find one I like," she shot back.

"We'll be there by the time you find one and then Mom'll want to listen to another station!" Kai retorted.

"Settle down you two," Haruka commanded. She took control of the radio and turned it to a news station. Suiren sat back in her seat, muttering how she hated news stations and whatnot. Kai was just glad that the channel surfing had stopped. That is, until he heard what was on the news.

"_For those of you just tuning in, we have just received confirmation that an airline has just been hijacked by a group of unknown terrorists. The 767 was on its way from France to Tokyo, Japan. Not much else is known at this time. We'll have more updates as we receive them. Again…_" the newscaster began again.

Suiren couldn't speak and Haruka was too stunned to do anything else but drive. Kaijin pulled out his small laptop and hastily tapped several buttons. He hacked into a secured website that displayed plane transponder numbers and punched in Michiru's flight number. A chilling message flashed across his screen and he tried it again, hoping that he had got the number wrong. He slowly closed the computer, his face white and his breath tight in his chest.

Suiren turned and saw the look on her brother's face. "Kai…what's wrong? We don't even know if it's Mama's flight or not."

Kai was unable to speak. Haruka knew about Kai's skills with computers and machines. She also knew that he knew how to hack into certain systems and swiftly put two and two together. "What did you find out?" Haruka demanded.

"Mom's plane…it…it wasn't there…" he stammered.

Haruka's wrist began beeping and she pulled off to the side of the road. She pushed her jacket sleeve back and flipped open her communicator. "Michiru?" she demanded hopefully. She sighed in relief inwardly when the aqua haired woman's face filled the small screen.

"_I don't have much time love_," Michiru said quietly and quickly.

"What's wrong?" Haruka demanded.

"_The plane's been hijacked. They're flying it into Tokyo and are set on crashing it or blowing it up somewhere_," Michiru whispered. "_The other passengers and I…we're going to take the plane back or at least do what we can to stop them_."

"Michiru…" Haruka whispered, failing to hold back tears.

"_I know_," Michiru said. "_Tell the twins I love them_."

Haruka watched as Michiru's face blinked out. "Michiru…" Haruka whispered, her breathing shallow.

"Papa…are you all right?" Suiren asked. She and Kai had heard the exchange between Haruka and Michiru.

Kai got out of the car and opened the driver side door. Suiren got out as well and the two helped Haruka into the backseat of the car. "Sit with Dad," Kai ordered. Suiren nodded and got in the backseat as well.

Kai climbed into the driver's seat and restarted the car. He peeled back out onto the road and sped towards the nearest family friend's house he could think of. He parked in front of the apartment building and got out. Together he and Suiren guided the shell-shocked Haruka into the building and to the elevator. Suiren hit a floor button and they rose into the air.

They got out and walked down the hall. Kai pounded his fist against the door. A pink haired teen opened the door. "Kai! Suiren! Why are…what's wrong with Haruka?" she asked.

"Chibiusa, who is…Kai!" Usagi exclaimed, seeing him first. Her eyes then fell on the catatonic Haruka. "Haruka? Haruka what's wrong?" The two stood aside to allow the three in.

Kai pulled Haruka to the couch and eased her down. "Well look who's here," Seiya chuckled, walking in. The smirk faded from his face when he saw how dull Haruka looked. "What's going on?"

Suiren picked up the remote for the television and turned it on to one of the news stations. The story of the hijacking was being aired. "It's a hijacking. So?" Seiya returned with a shrugged.

Kaijin pulled out his laptop and hooked it up to the television. He pulled up the last website he had up and typed in the flight number. The message flashed across the screen: Flight Not Found.

"It was our Mother's flight," Suiren whispered.

"She called on the communicator not fifteen minutes ago to say her goodbyes," Kai added softly.

"Seiya…call the others," Usagi commanded. Seiya nodded and picked up the phone, walking into another room. She knelt down in front of Haruka. "Haruka? Haruka can you hear me? Everything's going to be okay. Everything will be okay…"

* * *

Haruka stood amidst the small crowd dressed in a plain black suit, a long black coat protecting her from the chill. The other Senshi and their families stood around her, all of them dressed in somber colors as well.

Hotaru stood on Haruka's left, sniffling every few minutes. On Haruka's other side was Suiren and Kaijin. Suiren was in a long black dress, a heavy coat around her shoulders. Kai was wearing a black suit as well, but he wore no tie. A black leather duster hung over his broad shoulders as his long blonde hair swayed in the breeze.

People slowly began to leave the cemetery. Soon only Haruka and her family remained, the Senshi and their families leaving them alone. Kai slowly walked forward and placed a single rose on the casket in front of them. He bowed his head and walked away, Hotaru and Suiren following behind.

Haruka remained where she was, watching as the diggers lowered the casket into the ground and cover it with dirt. Once they had left she bowed her head and began crying, unwilling to believe that Michiru was gone.

A hand rested on her shoulder as a familiar scent invaded her nose. _I'll never leave you love. No matter what may happen, I'll find you again. In this life or the next. Live Ruka…for me…_

Haruka dried her eyes. She took a few steps forward and kissed the grave marker. She straightened and followed her children out of the cemetery, a pained look still in her eyes but it was mixed with hope.

**END**

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Thoughts and comments welcome. Flames are not and are disrespectful to an author's work. 


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